Mooring apparatus



Dec. 1966 P. v. HALBERG ET AL 3,291,092

MOORING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 21, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. PAUL V. HALBERG and BY Cumou S. MYERS f wm wgw A4+oyne\)$ Dec. 13, 1966 P. v. HALBERG ET AL 3,291,092

MOORING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 21, 1964 flww. W $711M Alfws Dec. 13, 1966 P. V. HALBERG ET AL MOORING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 21, 1964 -59 el Q 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 O flg. 5.

INVENTOR. PAUL V. HALBERG and BY CUNTON S MYERS Ahome s Dec. 13, 1966 P. v. HALBERG E l- 3,291,092

MOORING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 21, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. PAUL V. HALBERG and BY CLINTON S. MYERS WM WWI/115MB Md Dec. 13, 1966 P. v. HALBERG ET L 3,291,092

MOORING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 21, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS. PAUL V. HALBERG and CUNTON S. MYERS United States Patent 3,291,692 MGURHNG APPARATUS Paul V. Haiberg and Qlinton S. Myers, Fort Wayne, End, assignors to The Magnavox Company, Fort Wayne, Ind, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 211, 1964. Ser. No. 42Mlll5 Claims. (Cl. l14206) This invention relates generally to systems for mooring buoys and other devices and more particularly to a device Which can be placed, dropped, or thrown into the water and will rapidly and automatically perform its intended function without further attention.

A variety of projectile types of anchors is known in the art, but all have their disadvantages. Poor hydrodynamic stability is a typical bad characteristic of known devices. With such devices, a vertical descent path is impossible, and a reliable impact at the bottom of the body of water cannot be assured. Some prior art devices have also had the disadvantage of failing to allow the fired projectile of the anchor to attain any velocity of its own after the propellant fires, thus limiting its ability to penetrate harder bottom materials.

It is, therefore, a general object of the present invention to provide improved means for anchoring devices in a body of water.

A further object is to provide a device adapted to use both in shallow and in deep water.

A further object is to provide a device making the maximum utility of the weight thereof in a minimal space, and enabling reliable and rapid descent in water.

A further object is to provide a device capable of anchoring in a variety of types of ocean bottom materials.

Described briefly, a typical embodiment of the present invention employs an elongated cylindrical case having a closure at the bottom which is of a desirable hydrodynamic shape, and containing cable attached to a float, the cable being arranged to pay out of the container from the inside-out as the container descends in water. The device includes an anchor in the center of the container, with firing means therefor, all disposed inside the pack of cable which pays out of the container during its descent in water.

Because of the arrangement of the anchor in the cable pack, and the firing means therefor, the anchor can be fired out the bottom of the container and attain a reasonable velocity during firing. The anchor cable is attached to the anchor in a manner whereby it does not detract from the stability of the anchor as it moves from the container and into the ocean bottom and it does not impede the travel of the anchor through the bottom. Flukes are employed on the anchor in a manner to assure that they remain closed until the anchor is into the bottom, thereby minimizing resistance to motion of the anchor. The mounting of the flukes in the anchor is such that when a pull thereon is exerted after the anchor enters the bottom material, the fiukes will be opened to resist removal from the bottom.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating various steps in the deployment of the anchor according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a section through an embodiment of the present invention, the section being taken on a plane containing the axis of the device, and the illustration omitting the float device.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the anchor itself as mounted in the anchor gun, and illustrating the position of the flukes, the view being taken in the direction of the arrows 3-3 in FIG. 2.

didlfidz Patented Dec. 13, 1966 FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section as in FIG. 2 but illustrating one step in the opening of the flukes.

FIG. 5 is a view like FIG. 4 but illustrating a second step in the opening of the flukes.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view illustrating the anchor with the flukes completely open.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view illustrating a variation in anchor nose construction.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of an anchor with the flakes disposed as in FIG. 6, but also including web means between the flulres to give added resistance to removal from soft bottom materials.

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of the anchor of another embodiment of the invention wherein the projectile nose 58B and projectile shaft 528 are aflixed together instead of connected together in the manner of the previously illustrated embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a schematic cross section of the embodiment of FIG. 9 taken along the line ill-10 in FIG. 9 and viewed in the direction of the arrows, and illustrating the overlapping fluke arrangement whereby the flukes are canimed together by interengagement with each other rather than by the separate cam arrangement of the first described embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11 is an elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 9 with the flakes partially open.

FIG. 12 is an end view thereof taken along the line l2-]l2 in FIG. 11 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and particularly FIG. 1 thereof, various stages in deployment of the anchor of the present invention are illustrated. Stage A shows entry of the device ll into the surface 12 of the water 13, which entry can be effected by dropping from a boat or airplane, for example. Stage B shows separation of the float 14 from the upper end 16 of the canister 17, at which time inflation of the float begins. The apparatus for achieving this result upon entry into the water is not shown in detail, because such devices are well known in the art.

The float is connected to the cable 18 at the upper end thereof and, stage C in FIG. 1 illustrates the condition of completion of inflation of the float 14 whereupon it is disposed at the water surface and the cable 18 is now taut as the canister 17 continues to descend in a straight path with its lower end down.

Stage D illustrates the moment of impact of the lower end of the canister with the upper surface 19 of the bottom material 21. In this instance, the material is sediment and stage E shows the anchor 22 embedded deep in the sediment with the anchor cable 23 extending therefrom to the canister 17 which has now drifted somewhat along the bottom surface. Stage F illustrate the condition when the canister has drifted enough to exert some tension on the anchor cable 23 to open the flukes 2d of the anchor in a manner which will be described hereinafter.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the canister 17 includes an outer cylindrical wall 26 having an inwardly turned flange 27 at the upper end thereof, this flange terminating at an inner marginal edge 2% which is circular and has its center on the longitudinal axis 29 of the canister. A stabilizer mounting plate 31 is provided on top of the flange 27 and is formed down and under a portion of the flange at the edge 28 to provide a nicely rounded margin 32 defining a circular opening enabling payout of the cable 1% from the cable pack 33.

The cable in pack 33 extends from the plate 34 up to the flnage 27, and the cable is wound so that as it pays out of the canister, it does so from the inside-out. In other words, the coil of cable closest to the axis 29,

a this being the coil 36 leaves the canister before the next layer or winding 37 leaves.

By employing this type of construction, the mass of cable in the canister enables a greater descent velocity than might otherwise be possible. It also avoids the retarding force that skin friction on a cable would have if it were necessary for the canister to drag the cable through the water. Also, the cable mass improves stability of the device.

Another beneficial feature of the present invention is the fact that the canister nose member can conveniently be made in a very desirable hydrodynamic configuration. In the example shown, the canister nose member 38 is of a quarter caliper configuration, the member being secured to the downwardly projecting flange 39 of the plate 34 and to the lower marginal portion of the canister wall 26. A frangible plug 41 closes the nose of the device, there being a smoothly curved surface 42 in the body of the nose member 38 facilitating payout of the anchor cable 23 in a manner which will be described hereinafter.

According to another feature of the invention, the anchor 22 is disposed inside a gun barrel housing 43, this housing having an outwardly extending flange 44 at its lower margin, this flange being secured to the canister wall and floor 26 and 34, respectively, by a series of screws 45A, and to the nose :member 38 by screws 45B. This support housing extends to a point near the top of the canister and has a closed upper end 45, the lower end of the housing being open at 46 to accommodate departure of the anchor when fired. A somewhat cylindrical space 48 is provided between the outer cylindrical wall of the housing 43 and the inner surface presented by the inner row 36 of turns of cable 18. This accommodate easy payout of the cable even from the bottom of the canister at the plate 34.

A gun barrel 49 is secured in the housing at its upper end and has a bore 51 receiving the projectile shaft 52. A gas sealer 53 is provided at the upper end of the projectile shaft and below the propellant charge 54. Firing means 56 may be provided adjacent the propellant charge and would preferably be of a type which will fire upon sufiicient impact or set-back, fuses for this purpose of both the mechanical and electro-mechanical types, being well known and, therefore, not described herein. Where the firing means employed are the impact or setback type, the sensitivity will be selected so that firing will take place upon impact of the nose member of the canister with the bottom. The use of the quarter caliper nose as shown, together with the advantageous hydrodynamic characteristics thereof and with the type of cable pack and payout employed, enable rapid descent and yet adequate deceleration on impact to operate an impact firing mechanism, even though the bottom may be comparatively soft. Of course, the firing means can be se' lected from a variety of types and may include, for example, a battery source of electrical power, a squib type detonating device, an impact or G activating switch, and a pressure sensitive safety switch.

The projectile shaft 52 is normally retained in the gun barrel bore by a shear pin 57. A hardened projectile nose 58 is provided at the lower end of the projectile shaft and has set screws 59 mounted therein with the inner ends or tips of the set screws being received in grooves 61 in the projectile shaft. Each of these grooves ends in an abutment 62. Therefore, the projectile nose 58 can move longitudinally with respect to the projectile shaft to a limited degree, for a purpose which will become apparent. However, this longitudinal motion is prevented while the projectile is confined in the housing 43, and the normal relationship of the parts is as shown in FIG. 2.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3, the anchor has four flukes 24, each of which is pivotally connected to the projectile nose adjacent its upper end 63, the connection being accomplished by pins 64. Each of the flukes has a mounting bar 66 with a fin or blade 67 mounted thereto, the blades being semicircular in cross section except at the outer or upper ends 68 where they are flared outwardly and contact the inside face of the gun support housing wall. At these points, the blades have an arched appearance when viewed from the end, as shown at 67A in FIG. 6. Except for the pointed upper ends, the outer surfaces of the flukes are in substantially the same radial location with respect to the axis 29 as is the outer surface 69 of the projectile nose at its upper portion near the fluke pivot points.

The projectile shaft has cam surface 71 thereon tapering inwardly toward the rear end of the shaft and engageable with the cam follower surface 72 on the fluke bar 66 upon relative movement between the projectile shaft and projectile nose in a separating sense. While the projectiie is in the housing 43, this relative movement is limited by engagement of surfaces 71 and 72 because the housing 43 contacting the fi-uke blade tips keeps the flukes folded. If desired, this cam surface 71 can be annular so that the single cam surface is operable on the cam follower portion of each of the fluke bars, although individual cams can be provided instead, if desired. A second cam surface 73 is provided on the shaft 52 and is engageable with the cam follower lug 74 on the fluke bar 66 upon further relative movement of the projectile shaft and projectile nose in a separating sense. This cam surface 73 can also be annular, if desired, so as to work on the lugs of each of the four fluke bars.

A bore 76 is provided in the projectile shaft and is coextensive therewith and centered on the axis 29. A slug 77 is provided in this bore and one end of the anchor cable 23 is secured in this slug. The slu-g is freely movable up and down in the bore, the upward extent of movement of the slug being limited by the set screw 78 in the shaft. A slot 79 is provided between this bore and the outer cylindrical surface of the projectile shaft and extends from just above the cam surface 71 to the upper end of the shaft. This slot accommodates the anchor cable 23 as the shaft is fired out of the gun and permits the anchor cable to extend centrally out of the anchor shaft and follow directly behind the anchor shaft as the anchor proceeds on its way through the bottom material.

Although the portion 31 of the armored anchor cable 23 conveniently fits between the fluke blade 24A and the gun barrel, the portion 82 thereof is more easily accommodated between the fluke blade and gun barrel support housing by providing a groove 83 in the blade (FIG. 3). From this point, the anchor cable extends down to its storage pack 84 in a cavity in the canister nose member, thin sheets 86 of flimsy material such as cardboard, for example, being provided between the various layers of windings of the anchor cable to facilitate proper payout thereof from the inside-out when the anchor is fired from the canister.

Operation In the operation of the present invention, the canister may be dropped, thrown, pushed, or otherwise launched into water. The amount of cable stored in the canister pack 33 is usually selected to adapt the device to the depth of water in which it is to be deployed. As an alternative, some means of limiting the amount of cable payout can be incorporated if a standard canister is to be used for all depths.

Upon entering the water, the float -14, which can be inflatable or of fixed configuration, is separated from the canister by any suitable means, whereupon the cable 18 begins to pay out of the canister as the canister descends. Also the spring loaded stabilizer fins pivotally mounted at 87 to the stabilizer support plate 31 on the canister are moved outwardly to their open position by the springs 88 to further stabilize the descent. Normally, it is desirable that a descent velocity of at least 5 feet per second be achieved, and the present invention makes this readily possible.

When the canister nose strikes the bottom, the impact causes ignition of the propellant which, acting upon the gas sealer 53, drives the projectile shaft downwardly out of the gun barrel. Because the tip 89 of the anchor nose is a substantial distance above the plug 41, the projectile can achieve a good velocity before it even departs from the canister. During descent of the canister, the construction of the canister allowed air to freely escape and water to fill the space 48 and space 46 and the cavity in the canister nose. When the projectile is fired, it forces this water outwardly through the series of apertures $1 whereupon the water travels upwardly and out the opening in the upper end of the canister to stabilize the canister during the firing of the anchor.

The anchor either fractures or drives the plug out whole, or a combination of both, whereupon the anchor departs deep into the sediment in the bottom, the cable 23 paying out as the anchor goes.

A feature of the fluke construction is the fact that the center of gravity of the flukes, when they are disposed in the gun barrel support housing, is at a radial distance from the axis 29 which is less than the radial distance of the fluke pivot pins 64 from the axis 29. This assures that during deceleration of the projectile, the natural tendency of the flukes will be to remain folded. In this way, they provide the minimum resistance to passage of the projectile through the water and the bottom material.

Although the location of the center of gravity tends to keep the flukes folded during deceleration in the water and in the material of the bottom, it does tend to spread the flukes during acceleration. However, the contact of the fluke tips with the inner wall of the gun support housing retains the flukes in the folded condition during acceleration of the projectile. The lower end 55 of the gun barrel terminates at a point well above the open lower end of the gun barrel support housing and, because the fluke tips are retained by the housing wall until the projectile shaft has cleared the lower end of the gun barrel by a considerable amount, there is no danger of acceleration of the projectile causing the flukes to open.

At such time as the anchor has come to rest, the float and the canister will drift to some extent so that eventually there will be an upward pull exerted on the projectile shaft by the anchor cable 23. The four rearwardly opening cavities formed by the outward flare of the tips of the flukes will tend to entrap the sediment or material in which the anchor is embedded, particularly if any upward movement of the flukes occurs. Therefore the upward pull of the anchor cable will effect relative movement between the projectile shaft and nose in a separating sense such as illustrated in FIG. 4, whereupon the cam surface 71 will move the follower surface 72 and the fiukes therewith outwardly to some extent. Direct action of the sediment in the cavities assists in the outward movement of the flukes. Upon further pull of the anchor cable, the projectile shaft will be moved further upward to a point of engagement of the earns 73 with the follower lug 74 which will move the flukes out to a 45 angle with respect to the axis 29, as illustrated in FIG. 5. Upon any further pulling of the anchor cable, the flukes will be moved further outwardly to the position shown in FIG. 6 by the sediment or material in which the anchor has become embedded. After the flukes have moved to this extent, they are stopped and further separating movement of the projectile shaft with respect to the projectile nose is prevented by the engagement of the set screws 59 with the edges 62. The flukes then securely keep the anchor embedded in the bottom.

In the event that the anchor is to be deployed in an area where the bottom may be comparatively hard and the flukes may not have an opportunity to function, the projectile nose may be as illustrated in FIG. 7 wherein the projectile nose 92 has a plurality of short barbs 93 tapering toward the front end or point 94 of the projectile and having rearward facing abutment surfaces 96 to prevent rem-oval from the material in which the nose becomes embedded.

In the event that additional anti-removal capability is desired for use where the bottom material is quite .soft or fluid, the arrangement FIG. 8 may be employed wherein a web 97 of fiberglass or other suitable material is attached to the adjacent flukes 24, and a like web is provided between each two adjacent ones of the other flukes, four webs in all being provided. Such webbing, being flexible, is folded and thereby readily accommodated in the gun barrel support housing when the anchor is in the canister.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 9-12, the projectile nose 58B is atfixed directly to the projectile shaft 52B so that there is no relative movement therebetween. The projectile shaft has the slot 79 therein and incorporates the slug 77 connected to the anchor cable 23 in the same manner as in the previously described embodiment of the invention. However, because the shaft and nose are affixed together, the camm-ing open of the flukes simultaneously is accomplished by means somewhat different from those shown in the first embodiment. More specifically, flukes 98, 99, 101 and M2 are all pinned to the nose in much the same manner as are the flukes in the first described embodiment. Again the center of gravity is closer to the longitudinal axis 29 than are the pivot pins for the flukes so as to prevent opening of the flukes as the anchor is decelerating in the ocean bottom material. For example, the center of gravity 103 of the fluke 98 is closer to the center 29 of the projectile than is the pivot pin 104 on which the fluke is pivoted to the projectile nose and shaft assembly.

As is also shown in FIG. 10, one face portion 1% of the fluke 98 is covered by a portion N7 of the face of fluke 99. Another portion 108 of fluke 98 covers a portion 109 of the face of the fluke 162.. This means that for fluke 98 to pivot outwardly, fluke 99 must also pivot outwardly. Also, fluke 1.62 cannot pivot outwardly unless fluke 93 pivots outwardly. Thus it is seen that these flukes, together with fluke 1431 must all operate simultaneously in the same sense. Therefore as the projectile enters the ocean bottom, all of the flukes will remain closed. Then, when the cable 23 exerts an upward pull on the projectile, the outwardly flared tips 111 of the various flukes will be cammed outwardly by the ocean bottom material whereupon the flukes will be opened as shown in FIG. 11 and they will continue to be opened to the fullest extent where they are disposed at degrees with respect to the axis 29, just as are the flukes illustrated in FIG. 6. If it should happen that the outwardly flared tip portion of one of the flukes does not engage any material firm enough to cam it open as the anchor cable pulls upwardly on the shaft 52B, the flukes will still open so long as the outwardly flared portion of at least one of the flukes engages a firm enough material.

In order to prevent removal of the anchor from a bottom material which is too hard to permit the opening of the flukes, barbs 112 are provided on the outer faces of the flukes near the pivot points of the flukes with the projectile nose.

This last described embodiment of the invention naturally provides a less expensive construction than that of the previously described embodiment. It can incorporate a web such as web 97' in FIG. 8, if desired.

The present invention combines good hydrodynamic design with efficient cable packaging to achieve a fast and stable descent. Yet it also provides a large enough im pact area at the nose for firing a fusing device for automatic sequencing. This allows deep moorings in a minimum amount of time and in a variety of bottom materials. Descent rates such as 20 feet per second can be achieved readily. Also the construction is such as to minimize the buoyancy which would occur if air could become trapped in the device. The present invention also provides a large reaction mass and a reaction discharge of water during firing of the anchor projectile. The cable packaging and inside-out payout keeps the cable-to-volume ratio at a minimum, The serve cable 23, which is armored cable, is wound with a twist in it which is opposite that which would occur when it pays out. Thus, the payout is torsion-free and the flimsy material 86 provides little restraint to the cable during payout.

Upon firing the projectile, reaction thereto is provided by mass of the canister nose member 38, the cable canister 17, the remaining cable in the cable pack 33, the gun barrel 49 and gun barrel support housing 43, by the entrapped water in the canister and by the drag forces of the exterior water medium and by discharge of water through aperture 91 and out through the opening at the upper end of the canister. The provision of the center of gravity of the flukes closer to the axis than the pivot points causes the flukes to remain in the closed position during deceleration or bottom penetration. Stability of the unit is en hanced by the low center of gravity thereof, as well as by the proper length to diameter ratio and the smooth hydrodynamic shape of the nose of the canister. The device of the present invention may be used to moor any of a number of surface or sub-surface buoys.

While the invention has been disclosed and described in some detail in the drawings and foregoing description, they are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, as other modifications may readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art and within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. A mooring device comprising:

an elongated hollow cylindrical canister having a partial closure at the top thereof with a circular aperture in the center thereof, and said canister having a closure at the lower end thereof, said closure forming the nose of said canister and having an external surface at the lower end thereof shaped to provide minimal hydrodynamic resistance to movement of said canister axially in water, and said canister having a plurality of stabilizing fins spring biased to open outwardly beyond the outer cylindrical wall of said canister;

a first cable packed in said canister, said cable having a first portion secured to said canister, and a second portion attached to a float, said cable being packed in said canister beginning at an outer cylindrical wall thereof and continuing progressively inward therefrom so as to pay out of the canister through said aperture from locations moving progressively outwardly with respect to the container axis toward the outer cylindrical wall of said canister;

an anchor assembly on the axis of said canister and encircled by the pack of said first cable, said anchor assembly including a downwardly opening elongated cylindrical gun support housing having a closed upper end, said housing having a plurality of perforations in the wall thereof beginning at a point substantially midway between the upper and lower end of said housing, said housing being substantially coextensive with the height of the pack of cable and spaced from the inner windings of said cable to accommodate unwinding of the cable and payout of the cable from a generally cylindrical space between said housing and the pack of cable,

a gun barrel coaxial with and inside said housing, said gun barrel having an outer surface inwardly spaced from the wall of said housing and having a bore on said axis,

a propellant charge in the bore of said gun barrel near the upper end of said housing,

impact fuse means communicating with said propellant charge and operable upon impact of said nose with an ocean bottom material to fire said propellant charge,

a gas sealer in said bore below said propellant charge,

an anchor shaft fittingly received in said bore with the upper end thereof engaged by said gas sealer whereby said shaft is fired downwardly through said bore upon firing of said propellant charge,

an anchor nose member downwardly pointed and mounted to the lower end of said shaft,

a plurality of flukes, said flukes being. equally spaced and having the lower ends thereof pivotally mounted to the upper end portion of said nose member whereby said flukes are movable from folded positions substantially parallel to the axis of said shaft to positions substantially perpendicular to the axis of said shaft, the center of gravity of said flukes when said flukes are folded being normally disposed closer to the axis of said shaft than the pivotal axes of said flukes, whereby said flukes will remain contracted during deceleration of said shaft to provide minimum resistance to forward travel of the anchor and entry thereof into an ocean bottom material,

a second cable stored in a pack in said canister closure member and stored for payout progressively from points near the axis of said canister to points further from the axis of said canister, said second cable normally extending upward from the pack thereof along the inner face of said housing wall and the outer face of said nose member and between a portion of one of said flukes and said housing wall, and around the tip of said one fluke and thence downwardly between said one fluke and the outer surface of said gun barrel and connected to a slug initially disposed in an axially extending bore in said shaft and near the bottom of said shaft, said slug being movable relatively to said shaft to a point near the upper end thereof, and said shaft having a longitudinally extending slot therein extending to a point near the upper end thereof to accommodate movement of said second cable along said shaft from the point near the lower end thereof to the upper end thereof during firing of said shaft and said anchor thereby downwardly from the canister whereby said second cable is enabled to follow directly behind aid shaft on the projected axis thereof, said canister and housing being formed for freely exhausting air therefrom and admitting water thereto during descent of said cannister in water, the apertures in said housing providing exit means for water from the interior of said housing upwardly through the said circular aperture in the top of said canister during firing of said anchor to assist in maintenance of a stable condition of said canister during firing of said anchor,

said flukes being cammed and having outwardly flared tip portions forming upwardly opening cavities, for opening said flukes upon upward movement caused by a pull on said second cable after said anchor is embedded in ocean bottom sediment to position said flukes to resist removal of said anchor from said ocean bottom sediment and thereby securely moor said canister and the float.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said nose member is mounted to permit limited axial movement thereof with respect to said shaft,

said shaft having first cam means engageable with first follower means on said flukes upon relative upward movement of said shaft with respect to said nose member, and said shaft having second cam means thereon engageable with second follower means on said flukes to move said flukes to a substantial open condition upon further movement of said shaft upward with respect to said nose member such as caused by a pull on said second cable after said anchor is embedded in ocean bottom sediment.

3. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

foldable sheet means are provided between each fluke and each adjacent fluke, said sheet means being extended into a substantially flat rectangular form when said flukes are opened, to provide a substantial area resisting removal of said anchor from a soft ocean bottom sediment material.

4. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said second cable is pretwisted in said closure member and returned to untwisted condition upon payout as said anchor separates from said canister whereby said second cable exerts substantially zero twisting force on said canister when said anchor has been fired and embedded in the ocean bottom material.

5. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said bottom closure member has a severable portion in the path of said anchor member, said severable portion being severed upon impact of said anchor member therewith after firing to accommodate dis-charge of said anchor member from said canister.

6. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

each of said flukes has one portion overlapping a portion of one fluke adjacent thereto and each fluke has another portion underlying a portion of another fluke adjacent thereto,

whereby each fluke, upon opening, cams open one fluke adjacent thereto,

the extent of overlap being such that camming of each fluke by another occurs until all flukes are pivoted open to a predetermined degree,

and the overlapping being such that the opening of one fiuke is attain-able only with simultaneous opening of all other flukes.

7. In a mooring device, the combination comprising:

an elongated container having top and bottom openings;

a first cable packed in said container, said cable having a first portion connected to said container, and a second portion extending out of said container through the top opening thereof, portions of said cable between said first and second portions being payable out of said container through one of said openings from locations in said container moving progressively outwardly toward an outer longitudinally extending wall of said container;

and an anchor assembly disposed in said container, said anchor assembly including an anchor firing gun, encircled by the pack of said first cable, said anchor assembly including an anchor in said gun;

a second cable packed in said container and having a first portion connected to said container and a second portion connected to said anchor, said anchor being dischargeable from said gun through the bottom one of said openings of said container by firing said gun.

8. In a mooring device, the combination comprising:

an elongated container closed at its lower end, said container having an external surface shaped to provide minimal hydrodynamic resistance to movement of said container axi-alily in water;

a first cable packed in said container, said cable having a first portion secured to said container, and said first cable having a second portion suspended by a float, the portion of said cable intermediate said first and second portions being packed in said container beginning on the inner surface of a longitudinally extending wall of said container with a layer of windings therealon g and continuing with additional coaxial layers of windings packed progressively inward from each other to the said second portion of said first cable whereby said cable is payable out of said container from locations therein moving progressively outwardly toward said longitudinally extending wall of said container;

and an anchor disposed on the axis of said container and encircled by the pack of said first cable, said anchor being dischargeable through the lower end of said container.

9. In a mooring device, the combination comprising:

a case having a first pack of cable therein;

an anchor housing in said case;

an anchor in said housing, said anchor having a shaft with a nose mounted thereon;

firing and propellant means in said housing for propelling said anchor from said case;

a second pack of cable in said case, one end of the cable in said second pack being connected to a slug initially disposed in an axially extending bore in said shaft and near the bottom of said shaft, said slug being movable relatively to said shaft to a point near the upper end thereof, and said shaft having a longitudinally extending slot therein extending to a point near the upper end thereof to accommodate movement of said slug connected cable along said shaft from a point near the lower end thereof to the upper end thereof during departure of said anchor from the housing to enable the slug connected cable to follow directly behind the shaft as said anchor separates from said case.

It). In a mooring device, the combination comprising:

an anchor shaft;

a nose member downwardly pointed and mounted to the lower end of said shaft, said nose member being mounted to accommodate limited axial movement thereof with respect to said shaft;

a plurality of flukes, said fiukes having lower portions thereof pivotally mounted to said nose member whereby said flukes are movable from folded positions substantially parallel to the axis of said shaft to open positions;

means connecting an anchor cable to said shaft, said connecting means being located on the axis of said shaft with said cable extending therefrom along the projected axis of said shaft;

and cam means on said shaft and flukes to initiate opening of said flukes upon relative axial movement of said shaft with respect to said nose member.

11. The combination as set forth in claim 10 and further comprising:

foldable sheet means between each fluke and each adjacent fluke, said sheet means being extended when said flukes are opened to provide a substantial area resisting removal of said anchor from a soft ocean bottom sediment material.

12. A mooring device comprising:

an elongated container closed at its lower end,

a first cable packed in said container, said cable having a first portion secured to said container and a second portion suspended by a float, said cable being packed in said container and paying out of the container from locations in said container moving progressively outwardly with respect to the container axis toward an outer longitudinally extending wall of said container;

anchor means in said container, said anchor means including an anchor encircled by the pack of said cable and including a shaft and a nose member downwardly pointed and mounted to the lower end of said shaft, said nose member being mounted to accommodate limited axial movement thereof with respect to said shaft,

a plurality of flukes, said flukes being equally spaced and having the lower ends thereof pivotally mounted to a portion of said nose member whereby said flukes are movable from folded positions substantially parallel to the axis of said shaft to open positions, the center of gravity of said flukes being normally dis posed closer to the axis of said shaft than the pivotal axes of said flukes whereby said flukes will remain folded during downward deceleration of said shaft to provide minimum resistance to forward travel of the anchor and entry thereof into ocean bottom material,

a second cable stored in a pack in said container and arranged for payout progressively from points near the axis of said container to points further from the axis of said container, said second cable normally extending from the pack thereof upward along the outer face of one of said folded flukes and thence downwardly along the inner face of said flukes and connected to means centrally disposed in said shaft;

means in said container for firing said anchor downwardly out of said container;

and said anchor shaft having cam means thereon engageable with follower means on said flukes to open said flukes upon relative upward movement of said shaft with respect to said nose member such as caused by a pull on said second cable by said container after said anchor is embedded in ocean bottom sediment, to position said flukes to resist removal of said anchor from said ocean bottom sediment and thereby securely moor said container and the float.

13. A mooring device comprising:

an elongated container closed at its lower end,

a first cable packed in said container, said cable having a first portion secured to said container and a second portion suspended by a fioat, said cable being packed in said container and paying out of the container from locations in said container moving progressively outwardly with respect to the container axis toward an outer longitudinally extending wall of said container;

anchor means in said container, said anchor means including an anchor encircled by the pack of said cable and including a shaft and a nose member downwardly pointed and mounted to the lower end of said shaft, said nose member being mounted to accommodate limited axial movement thereof with respect to said shaft,

a plurality of flukes, said flukes being equally spaced and having the lower ends thereof pivotally mounted to a portion of said nose member whereby said flukes are movable from folded positions substantially parallel to the axis of said shaft to open positions; second cable stored in a pack in said container and arranged for payout progressively from points near the axis of said container to points further from the axis of said container, said second cable normally extending from the pack thereof upward along the outervface of one of said folded flukes and thence downwardly along the inner face of said flukes and connected to means centrally disposed in said shaft; means in said container for firing said anchor downwardly out of said container;

and said anchor shaft having cam means thereon engageable with follower means on said flukes to open said fluke upon relative upward movement of said shaft with respect to said nose member such as caused by a pull on said second cable by said container after said anchor is embedded in ocean bottom sediment, to position said flukes to resist removal of said anchor from said ocean bottom sediment and thereby securely moor said container and the float.

14. In a mooring device, the combination comprising:

an elongated case having a low hydrodynamic resistance to axial motion thereof in Water;

a cable pack extending substantially the entire length of said case;

a downwardly opening elongated housing in said case and encircled by said cable pack, said housing having a plurality of perforations in the wall thereof communicating between the interior of said housing and a space between the housing and the cable pack, said space being open to the exterior of said device through the top of said case to accommodate departure of the cable from the pack of cable,

a gun barrel in said housing,

an anchor shaft received in said barrel,

firing and propellant means operable on said shaft whereby said shaft is driven downwardly upon firing of said propellant means,

a nose member downwardly pointed and mounted to said shaft,

a plurality of flukes, said flukes having lower portions thereof pivotally mounted to said nose member whereby said flukes are movable from folded positions substantially parallel to the axis of said shaft to open positions, said fiukes being formed such that the center of gravity of said flukes is normally disposed closer to the axis of said shaft than the pivotal axes of said fiukes when said fluke are folded whereby said flukes will remain folded during deceleration of said shaft to provide minimum resistance to forward travel of the anchor and entry thereof into a soft ocean bottom material.

15. In a mooring device, the combination comprising:

an anchor shaft;

a nOSe member fixed on said anchor shaft and downwardly pointed;

a plurality of flukes, said fluke having lower portions thereof pivotally mounted to said nose member whereby said fiukes are movable from folded positions substantially parallel to the axis of said shaft to open positions;

means connecting an anchor cable to said shaft, said connecting means being located at a point remote from the location of the pivots for said flukes;

each of said flukes having one portion overlapping a portion of one fluke adjacent thereto and each fluke having another portion underlying a portion of another fluke adjacent thereto, whereby each fluke, upon opening, cams open one fluke adjacent thereto, at least one of said flukes having an outwardly flaring portion near the tip thereof to provide an upwardly opening cavity for initiating opening of the fluke by engagement of a material in which the nose member becomes embedded, when a generally upwardly directed pull is exerted on said anchor cable.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,054,123 9/1962 Moeller l14206 X 3,187,705 6/1965 Costello et al 114206 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

T. M. BLIX, Assistant Examiner. 

7. IN A MOORING DEVICE THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED CONTAINER HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM OPENINGS; A FIRST CABLE PACKED IN SAID CONTAINER, SAID CABLE HAVING A FIRST PORTION CONNECTED TO SAID CONTAINER, AND A SECOND PORTION EXTENDING OUT OF SAID CONTAINER THROUGH THE TOP OPENING THEREOF, PORTIONS OF SAID CABLE BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND PORTIONS BEING PAYABLE OUT OF SAID CONTAINER THROUGH ONE OF SAID OPENINGS FROM LOCATIONS IN SAID CONTAINER MOVING PROGRESSIVELY OUTWARDLY TOWARD AN OUTER LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING WALL OF SAID CONTAINER; AND AN ANCHOR ASSEMBLY DISPOSED IN SAID CONTAINER, SAID ANCHOR ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AN ANCHOR FIRING GUN, ENCIRCLED BY THE PACK OF SAID FIRST CABLE, SAID ANCHOR ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AN ANCHOR IN SAID GUN; A SECOND CABLE PACKED IN SAID CONTAINER AND HAVING A FIRST PORTION CONNECTED TO SAID CONTAINER AND A SECOND PORTION CONNECTED TO SAID ANCHOR, SAID ANCHOR BEING DISCHARGEABLE FROM SAID GUN THROUGH THE BOTTOM ONE OF SAID OPENINGS OF SAID CONTAINER BY FIRING SAID GUN. 